6 h. ago FBI arrests judge for alleged obstruction of immigration arrest operation, Patel says in deleted social post – live

Kash Patel has since deleted the post on X that had said a Wisconsin judge was arrested and accused of helping an immigrant ‘evade arrest’Apple is reportedly planning to switch assembly of all iPhones for the US market to India as the company seeks to reduce its reliance on a Chinese manufacturing base amid Donald Trump’s trade war.The $3tn (£2.3tn) technology company aims to make the shift as soon as next year, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago Trade war fears trigger biggest slide in US consumer expectations since 1990 recession – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsXi announces plan for Chinese economy to counter impact of US trade warEuropean stock markets are rising this morning, amid hopes that China is relaxing some of its tariffs.In London, the FTSE 100 index is up 12 points or 0.13%, at 8417 points. Engineering companies are among the top risers, with aerospare manufacturers Melrose up 3.6%, and Rolls-Royce up 2%, after Safran reported that tariffs on aircraft parts have been lifted.“We learned last night that China has taken the decision not to tax engines or landing gear or nacelles - in other words a certain number of aerospace equipment parts.”“It demonstrates that the situation is very fluid.” Continue reading...

Economics

10 h. ago 1 killed and 2 injured as driver loses control during a parade in an Italian town

A man has been killed and two people injured when a driver lost control of his car in Italy’s central town of Lanciano during celebrations for Italy’s 80th Liberation Day

Events

12 h. ago Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees ‘privileged’ talks with 15 countries on US tariffs – US politics live

Karin Keller-Sutter, Swiss president, says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which US plans to hold negotiations to reach deals over tariffsThe Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations to help reach a deal after sweeping US tariffs on dozens of countries that have shaken global markets, reports the Associated Press (AP).Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF published Friday, said she was “satisfied” with talks in Washington this week that included an International Monetary Fund conference and her one-on-one meeting with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Keller-Sutter also serves as Switzerland’s finance minister. “The United States has defined a group of 15 countries with which it wants to find a quick solution in this tariff question. Switzerland is part of this group of these 15 countries,” she told reporters separately late on Thursday in Washington, according to the ...

Politics

14 h. ago China ‘may exempt some US goods’ from tariffs; British retail sales beat forecasts – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsRachel Reeves used a brief speech to US investors at the British ambassador’s lavish residence in Washington last night, to acknowledge some of the downsides of globalisation, in a nod to Donald Trump’s stance.As she prepares to meet Treasury secretary Scott Bessent today, Reeves said China’s entry into the global trading system 25 years ago had created “huge benefits in terms of cheaper goods, more innovation and more opportunities to trade”.“They voted for change because they didn’t think that the economy worked well enough for them and their families. They saw the erosion of good jobs that paid a decent wage. They saw industries that once powered their towns disappear. And as elected politicians we have to respond to that”.“Some may say that under this very consequential president we have at the moment, this is a rollercoaster period and therefore a challenge to us all. But we would say that a rollercoaster is fine, as lon...

Economics

24 h. ago Trump tariffs: President vents at China over Boeing as Beijing denies claims of trade deal talks

Beijing called claims of trade talks ‘groundless as trying to catch the wind’ and having ‘no factual basis’ as Trump insisted they were happening

Politics

27 h. ago Trump denies aid for Arkansas after storms that killed more than 40 people

Latest denial of disaster funding comes as Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to eliminate FemaUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has denied federal disaster relief funds to the people of Arkansas, which saw dozens of people die from a series of deadly tornados last month, as legislators plead for him to reconsider.More than 40 people have been found dead after a series of tornados and severe storms hit Arkansas and neighboring states Mississippi and Missouri in March, according to CNN. Continue reading...

Events

27 h. ago ‘Vladimir, stop!’ Trump in rare rebuke to Putin as Kyiv attack toll rises to 12

Intervention comes as US president makes renewed push to end war, reportedly on terms favourable to MoscowEurope live: latest updatesDonald Trump has issued a rare rebuke to Moscow for an air attack that killed 12 people in Kyiv, telling the Russian president in a social media post: “Vladimir, STOP!”The US president’s remarks come as he makes a renewed push to end the Ukraine war, reportedly on terms favourable to Russia that include recognition of Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, something the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said he cannot accept. Continue reading...

Politics

29 h. ago Trump to meet with top Atlantic editor who was accidentally added to Hegseth Signal group chat – live

President says he will meet with Jeffrey Goldberg and two Atlantic reporters to ‘see if it’s possible for The Atlantic to be ‘truthful’’South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he talked about the war in Ukraine and the need to foster good bilateral relations with the US in his phone call with Donald Trump.“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X. Continue reading...

Politics

29 h. ago Trump tariffs live: President vents at China over Boeing as Beijing denies claims of trade deal talks

Lawsuit comes as president warned he could re-impose higher tariffs in as little as two weeks

Politics

31 h. ago Civil rights advocates say Trump order guts protections against discrimination

Order directs federal agencies to ‘deprioritize enforcement’ of laws where policies have discriminatory effectsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s executive order on Wednesday eliminating “disparate-impact liability” from federal civil rights enforcement has sparked condemnation from legal and civil rights advocates who argue it guts protections that have shielded Americans from discrimination for decades.The order directs federal agencies to immediately “deprioritize enforcement” of laws where policies have discriminatory effects, even without discriminatory intent – a cornerstone of modern civil rights protection. It also instructs the attorney general to begin repealing or amending regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago China calls reports of ongoing US tariff talks ‘baseless’ while Trump claims administration ‘actively’ seeking deal – live

Spokesperson for China’s ministry of commerce says any claims of progress in China-US negotiations are ‘without factual evidence’South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he talked about the war in Ukraine and the need to foster good bilateral relations with the US in his phone call with Donald Trump.“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X. Continue reading...

Economics

33 h. ago ‘Vladimir, stop!’ Trump criticises Putin over attack on Kyiv – Europe live

US president says he is ‘not happy’ with Russian attack and criticises the ‘very bad timing’ We understand that while the visit will be cut short after Zelenskyy’s meeting with Ramaphosa, their media activities will still proceed, meaning we should hear from the Ukrainian president in the next few hours.Rachel and I will keep an eye on this development to see if Zelenskyy takes part in a scheduled press conference in Pretoria in case he wants to say more about the attacks overnight. Continue reading...

Politics

33 h. ago IMF warns that trade tensions could test stability of world economy; Reeves ‘confident’ about US trade deal – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsDonald Trump’s tariffs will make it harder for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s car division, Ineos Automotive, to reach its first profit.Ineos Automotive’s CEO, Lynn Calder, told Bloomberg that the US president’s 25% tariff on foreign cars will make it harder to hit the earnings target.“For sure, this last week has put a dent in that and, for sure, delayed it,”“We’re stubborn as mules. We’re not easy to knock down.”“With fieldwork completed just days after Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, it is unsurprising that consumer expectations for the economy plummeted to a record low. The original tariff schedule, since reduced for most countries, was expected to reduce growth in the UK and elsewhere. Yet despite this economic pessimism, expectations of retail spending rose slightly as the prospect of Easter shopping drew closer.The state of the economy dropped significantly to -48 in April, down from -35 in March.Their personal financial...

Events

36 h. ago Trump tariffs live: Dozen US states sue to stop ‘insane’ policy as president threatens more global levies

The lawsuit comes as the president warned he could re-impose the higher tariffs in as little as two weeks

Politics

37 h. ago ‘Massive’ Russian attack on Kyiv kills nine and wounds 70 as Trump criticises Zelenskyy over peace talks – Europe live

Attack on Kyiv comes hours after Donald Trump accused his Ukrainian counterpart of being ‘harder’ to deal with than PutinWe understand that while the visit will be cut short after Zelenskyy’s meeting with Ramaphosa, their media activities will still proceed, meaning we should hear from the Ukrainian president in the next few hours.Rachel and I will keep an eye on this development to see if Zelenskyy takes part in a scheduled press conference in Pretoria in case he wants to say more about the attacks overnight. Continue reading...

Events

37 h. ago US trade war fears drive UK consumer confidence down to record low; Tesla’s European sales fall again – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsDonald Trump’s tariffs will make it harder for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s car division, Ineos Automotive, to reach its first profit.Ineos Automotive’s CEO, Lynn Calder, told Bloomberg that the US president’s 25% tariff on foreign cars will make it harder to hit the earnings target.“For sure, this last week has put a dent in that and, for sure, delayed it,”“We’re stubborn as mules. We’re not easy to knock down.”“With fieldwork completed just days after Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, it is unsurprising that consumer expectations for the economy plummeted to a record low. The original tariff schedule, since reduced for most countries, was expected to reduce growth in the UK and elsewhere. Yet despite this economic pessimism, expectations of retail spending rose slightly as the prospect of Easter shopping drew closer.The state of the economy dropped significantly to -48 in April, down from -35 in March.Their personal financial...

Economics

51 h. ago Treasury secretary says China tariffs not sustainable as US signals willingness to de

Scott Bessent said the tariffs – 145% on Chinese products and a retaliatory 125% on US products – would have to come down before talks can proceedStock markets rise as Trump backtracks on high China tariffs and firing Fed chairNato secretary general Mark Rutte will visit the US and meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, according to a media notice shared by the military alliance’s press office.Rutte will visit the US on 24 and 25 April. Continue reading...

Politics

54 h. ago Law firms targeted by Trump ask judges to permanently bar executive orders against them – live

Law firms Perkins Coie and WilmerHale say Trump’s executive orders against them are acts of retaliation that violate US constitutional protectionsNato secretary general Mark Rutte will visit the US and meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, according to a media notice shared by the military alliance’s press office.Rutte will visit the US on 24 and 25 April. Continue reading...

Events

55 h. ago Trump says he is suing Perkins Coie law firm after it filed suit against executive order – live

US president claims he is suing law firm for ‘egregious and unlawful acts’ Nato secretary general Mark Rutte will visit the US and meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, according to a media notice shared by the military alliance’s press office.Rutte will visit the US on 24 and 25 April. Continue reading...

Politics